Host Engineering

Microbes represent an inexhaustible source of beneficial chemicals but, in their native state, most microbes produce only small quantities of these molecules. This is an important constraint to be overcome in the production of biofuels and commodity chemicals. Researchers in the Host Engineering Group use genomics and synthetic biology to optimize the production of desired molecules in engineered microbes. Their goals are to develop microbes that can accumulate high levels of fuel products, tolerate inhibitory pretreatment byproducts and consume all forms of carbon in the biomass.